'We were hostages'

A British couple held without charge for 13 days by Iranian authorities have said they were subjected to "mental torture".

Rupert and Linda Wise have now been released after being detained at gunpoint by the Iranian navy as they sailed towards the disputed island of Abu Musa from their home in Dubai.

Mr Wise told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that they were treated well and not physically harmed.

But the couple were interrogated, repeatedly denied access to the Foreign Office and not allowed to say where they were.

"We were kept under lock and key, not allowed out, armed guards outside, guards inside, for the full period of our detention. We were hostages," he said.

He added that it was never clear why the Iranians had seized them.

Mr Wise said their ordeal began on Oct 28 when two gunboats came "roaring out" towards them and slammed into both sides of their boat as they headed for the island - a territory that is being claimed by both Iran and the United Arab Emirates.

"We had about 10 armed men on the boat, shouting at us and informing us that we had done some sort of crime," he said.

"We were apprehended and tied to the quay and put under guard."

Along with an Australian yachtsman, Paul Shulton, they were taken to the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas for questioning by five or six interrogation teams.

The British Embassy in Tehran successfully negotiated their release and agreed for the trio to be flown home on Monday.

But they were re-arrested at the airport by Iranian officials and taken to a secret location in Tehran.

Mr Wise said: "I think the worst moment was when the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said we could go last Monday. We had the ticket, we were at the airport, we were in the charge of the British embassy.

"And then the judiciary from Tehran intervened, took us off the British embassy, overruled the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and put us on a flight to Tehran.

"We landed in Tehran and were carted straight into a minivan with curtains round the windows... About four minutes out, we screamed to a halt, changed vehicles, presumably to throw off the British ambassador and team who were in the airport building waiting for us."

They were finally freed today and have arrived home in Dubai.

A Foreign Office spokesman said British embassy staff had worked tirelessly to secure the couple's release.

He said: "It appears they had strayed into Iranian waters. They were able to ring their family and the family alerted us to the situation."

"We spoke in strong terms to the authorities in Tehran and demanded their immediate release."